IDSL for Tsunami Early Warning System in Indonesia

Abstract

The Inexpensive Device for Sea Level measurement (IDSL) has been implemented for tsunami monitoring and early warning in the Mediterranean regions. Following the events of 2018 Palu and the Sunda Strait Tsunami, The MMAF, JRC-EC, IATsI, and BMKG worked together and installed eight (8) units of IDSL in Indonesia starting from January 2019. This paper discusses the concept of IDSL, the installation and the operation in the last 18 months and its potential use as tsunami early warning system in Indonesia. We concluded that IDSL and other similar systems could strengthen the existing TEWS in Indonesia considering its reliability in delivering the alerts in real-time with the characteristics of short distance tsunami and the presence of small islands, low costs in installation and maintenance that may guarantee the sustainability of the system.